Video: Tiger poked and prodded for tourists amusement at Pattaya Park

A disturbing video was posted on Facebook by a Dutch environmentalist that showcased the way a tiger was being treated at a Pattaya park when its handler repeatedly prodded it with a stick so it would roar whilst being photographed with tourists.

After the footage went viral an official at the popular Pattaya Park has defended the park laying the blame solely on the tiger’s handler.

The video is roughly one minute long and shows the handler prodding the chained up tiger whilst tourists pose next to it and has been shared more than 15,000 times since it was uploaded with many calling the tiger’s treatment disgusting.

After the footage was uploaded on Tuesday a representative from the Million Years Stone Park and Crocodile Farm which is located just outside of Pattaya spoke to the media and admitted that the footage was genuine and had happened at the park.

The executive Suan Phanomwatanakul said that the handler in the clip was a man from Burma called “Min” who was making the tiger roar in an effort to get more tips.

He said that what Min was doing was against park policy and since the footage highlighting the handler’s behaviour had come to light he had been transferred to other duties.

Suan assured reporters if he became aware of any such behaviour in the future he would call the police himself.

He said that the animals in the park are all well cared for and provided with healthy food.

Suan went on to thank the public for their concern for the parks animals and thanked them for bring the incident to light so as not to damage the city’s tourism reputation.